Iran-Israel war highlights: Iran threatens to 'completely' close Strait of Hormuz and hit power plants after Trump ultimatum

Iran-Israel war: Follow the latest updates from The Hindu on the West Asia war, on March 22, 2026

The United States and Iran have threatened to target critical infrastructure as the war in the Middle East, now in its fourth week, puts lives and livelihoods at risk throughout the region. Iran said the Strait of Hormuz, crucial to oil and other exports, would be “completely closed” immediately if the U.S. follows up on President Donald Trump’s threat to attack its power plants. 

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Israel said rocket fire from Lebanon killed one person on Sunday (March 22, 2026) as Hezbollah said it attacked soldiers in northern Israel, the first fatality there in fire from Lebanon since the latest war erupted. 

The Strait of Hormuz remains open ‌to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran’s enemies”, Iran’s ⁠representative to the U.N. maritime agency said on Sunday (March 22, 2026), after U.S. President ‌Donald Trump threatened to target Iranian power plants if ‌the waterway was not “fully ‌open” ⁠within 48 hours. 

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There has been no sign of an uprising, nor of an end to the fighting that has shaken the global economy, sent oil prices surging and endangered some of the world’s busiest air corridors. The war, which the U.S. and Israel launched February 28, has killed over 2,000 people.